Thursday, September 5, 2013

Sia by Josh Grayson

If you were to lose all your memories, would you change into a different person? Would the you that didn't have past baggage be a nicer person or a meaner one? In Sia's case, she turned into a nice person.

Sia opens with the titular protagonist waking up with nothing but an iPod in her hand. Thankfully, another homeless person called Carol helps her out till she is found. And really, the contrast between her life as a homeless person and her life as Sia Holloway, the daughter of an ex-model and a Hollywood producer could not be more different. Unfortunately, Sia also finds out that she's not only popular, but mean. And now she's uncomfortable with it.

The novel is about Sia trying to find herself, and I thought that by getting rid of her memories (by giving her fugue amnesia) was a clever move on the author's part. It let her get rid of past baggage (how else can a person change so easily?) and genuinely become a whole new person. Otherwise, the mean-girl-turned-good story would be much less convincing.

What I would really have liked to have known, but never did find out, was why Sia lost her memories. I thought that it was going to be a plot point, but it never really developed. Her lack of memories does play an important role in the book, but not in the "I'm hiding a terrible secret" kind of way. I suppose that does make a refreshing change, but it's still a loose end.

All in all, this is a gripping book that takes a look at the issue of identity. I read it in one sitting (luckily I didn't burn my lunch) because well, I liked Sia, I like the characters and this book just pulled me in.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review

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